FOUND POETS
ABOUT US
Art is work.
Poetry belongs everywhere.
THE ORIGIN
Found Poets began in 2021 as a concrete experiment in mutual aid and sustainable economics. Not a typical poetry night but a self-sustaining micro-economy that returns real financial value to the artists who create it.
Seasonal showcases at The Big Easy in Petaluma, CA. Past collaborations with The Lost Church in Santa Rosa and San Francisco. Performances at The Phoenix Theater, ancient amphitheaters in Greece, and everywhere in between.
THE MODEL
80/20
We operate on an 80/20 artist-equity model: 80% of door revenue goes directly to performing artists. #PayThePoets.
FOUNDING POET
Michael "Original" Giotis
Founder, Lead Curator & Host
Performing poet, author, cultural journalist, and arts producer based in Petaluma, CA. Holds an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University of California and a BA in Philosophy and Critical Theory from San Francisco State University. Giotis has been building alternative creative economies since the 1990s — from founding underground zine Blew to architecting Found Poets' 5-years running performance showcase.
His work spans spoken-word albums, poetry collections (Daybreak, FMRL Press 2019; Razor Bloom, self-publishing chapbook), and a forthcoming vinyl pressing, Live in Santa Cruz. He coined #PayThePoets to assert a foundational principle: human beings are inherently valuable and deserve to be compensated fairly for their gifts.
PUBLICATIONS
Live in Santa Cruz
Spoken-word album, chapbook & vinyl (forthcoming)
Daybreak
Poetry collection, FMRL Press (2019)
Razor Bloom
Poetry chapbook, self-published (1998)
Blew
Underground zine series (1990s)
COMMUNITY
Found Poets is built on community. Showcase co-hosted with Josh Windmiller (Director of Railroad Square Music Festival), featuring poets from across Sonoma County, the Bay Area, and beyond.
#PAYTHEPOETS